Wildlife Crime

Unsustainable and illegal wildlife trade is the second-biggest direct threat to species after habitat destruction.

Every year, hundreds of millions of plants and animals are caught or harvested from the wild to be sold as food, pets, medicine, ornamental items, and for a host of other reasons.

With this trade worth billions of dollars annually, it is an issue that needs immediate attention. It also affects the livelihoods of millions of people – especially the world’s poorest who depend on local wild animals for meat and on local trees and plants for food and medicine.

Through its global network and especially the work of TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, WWF works to stop illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade.

In Laos, WWF cooperates with the government to improve and implement laws that protect important places, ecosystems and species. Examples include the WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN), which provides support in the Chain of Custody (CoC) process, starting from promotion of the FSC scheme, and capacity building for interested companies to follow the CoC standard and link them with the EU market.

Through the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) project, we are working to curb illegal logging by strengthening sustainable and legal forest management, improving governance, and promoting trade in legally produced timber.

At provincial and district levels, WWF’s experts help increase the capacity of protected area staff to protect the unique wildlife that resides within their borders. In Nam Pouy National Protected Area (NPA), WWF is helping to bolster law enforcement to intercept or deter poachers who might enter the area to poach elephants for their ivory and hides.